Help with Event Dininer in Palo Alto?
 

Can you help me decide on a restaurant for a nice group dinner? This will be a reunion of 20 to 30 old friends. We would like someplace with great food and a nice ambiance, conducive to talking and laughing. Nothing formal or stuffy, but not noisy either.

It should be near University Ave. downtown, within walking distance of, say, the Sheraton on the corner of El Camino and University Ave.

I am looking at Evvia and Junnoon, and possibly St. Michael's Alley, but and certainly open to other suggestions. Casual like Gordon Biersch might work too, if it is not too noisy there. I have never been to any of these places.

What do you think would work best for a group this size?

Anything with outside dining that would be doable in late October? (I like Cafe Riace but it gets awfully dark on that patio, and it is too far away.)

We would be having a cocktail hour elsewhere and then walk to the restaurant.

Thanks for your help!

Evvia is a nice place for a large group, but I've never heard anyone say that it was quiet. LOL. Another place I'd look at is Zibbbibo. It is a great place for a large group. Il Fornaio is another great place for a large group. One of our favorite places downtown is called Taipan. It's upsacle Chinese with very friendly service and great food.

I was hoping you would respond, iamq-I value your opinions a lot. I think we have similar standards for what is good.

I probably should have clarified what I meant by "quiet". Not that we are looking for a hushed atmosphere. I just don't want to have to shout when I try to talk to my neighbor, or the person across the table.

I don't know why I didn't think of Il Fornaio---I took my son and his friends there many times when they were students there. Food was always reliable. I'll look into it.

Which reminds me of another Italian place we went with son et al. It was new-ish when we went, in 2005 or 2006 or so. It was a small Italian place right on University Ave. in the heart of downtown, on the left side as you face east (away from the campus). Does this sound familiar? Any idea of the name and if it is still there? They had a nice back room for a group (although we were only 12 or so on that visit) and the food was good and authentic Italian. (As in real mozzarella di bufalo).

Hi enzian,
There are LOTS of Italian places on University. Sounds like it could have been La Strada or perhaps Neibaum Coppola. La Strada is still there, but N/C is something else now and I don't know the name of it. La Strada prides itself in being authentic. They have one of those really expensive Italian meat slicers that they proudly display on the bar when you walk in. We've eaten there twice and I'd give it a B+.

Last year a group of about 20 of us had dinner at Evvia and it was a lot of fun. They bring the food out family style and there is some "ahh" and "oooo" factor when they put it on the table. It is a good place with a group.

Hi again, I just thought of another nice Italian place on a side street in downtown. Vero serves pretty tasty authentic Italian food. It has been 2 years since we've been, but we always thought it was a bit better than the average restaurant in town. It is a small place, so I am not usre whether they'd be able to do a group of 30, but you might want to contact them.

Thank you, Bill!

La Strada might be the place I was trying to remember. My son would definitely led me to a place that prided itself on authenticity, since he spent a year living in Florence.

Evvia does sound like fun--I like the family style food idea. That would bring back fond memories for this particular group.

I'll check out the Italian places and then run it by the group, along with Evvia.